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The draft programme for De Montfort University's Workers and Consumers: The photographic industry 1860-1950 conference which takes place from 24-25 June 2013 has been announced. The history of photography has largely been dominated by concerns about aesthetic production and its political framings. Such ‘art historical’ approaches have marginalised the study of the economic base of the medium manifested through a developing photographic industry, its related trades and its mass consumers. 

Work is now emerging in this field, scattered across a number of disciplines: history, anthropology and history of science in particular. While there has been extensive research on both the politics and the affective qualities of popular photography, family albums, for instance, the missing component in the analysis is often a detailed and empirically informed understanding of the social and economic conditions of product development, labour forces, marketing and consumer demand.

This two-day conference aims to bring together a critical mass of research in this area, to explore the state of play in this overlooked but crucial aspect of history of photography, and to suggest new directions for research in the economic, business and industrial history of photography. The conference will explore the period 1860-1950: from the rise of a clearly defined photographic industry, which had a profound effect on the practices and thus social functions of photography, to the expansion of mass colour technologies.

Opening Keynote Speaker: 

Professor Steve Edwards (Open University) Working Lives in Photography

Draft Programme available at:  http://www.dmu.ac.uk/research/research-faculties-and-institutes/art-design-humanities/phrc/photographic-history-research-centre-phrc.aspx

Register On-line at http://store.dmu.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&catid=74&modid=1&prodid=0&deptid=0&prodvarid=180

£55  (Full price 2 days)

£30  (Full price day ticket)

£25 (Students, Unwaged and Retired rate, 2 days )

£15 (Students, Unwaged and Retired rate – day ticket) Note: evidence of concession may be required.

£38 Conference Dinner, including wine  (Case Restaurant, Leicester, June 24^th)

Noel Chanan’s latest hardcover, The Photographer of Penllergare- a life of John Dillwyn Llewelyn 1810 to 1882, is an in-depth, richly illustrated and forensically researched hardcover book. Llewelyn was married to a cousin of William Henry Fox Talbot, the British inventor of photography, and consequently became an inspired pioneer of photography from the 1850s. In addition to being an accomplished photographer, he was a highly productive polymath, benevolent landowner and a driving force in social and economic change around him in South Wales and London. Far from being a mere coffee table book, the scholarly endeavour employed to enrich the images and narrative, results in a rewardingly revealing history with oft times touching tales of sadness and joy.

Critically, the book engages with the photographic object, its processes and production, reflecting the sense of consideration, appreciation and commitment that Llewelyn appears to have applied to every facet of his life. It is a large format volume measuring 290 mm x 256 mm containing 276 pages which are steeped in the visual and literal history surrounding Llewelyn family. The 235 images, 160 of which are photographs, contain a range of facsimiles of watercolours, salted paper prints, daguerreotypes and albumen prints. The choice of images describes the life and times of a wealthy family in a bygone era as well as Llewelyn’s deliberate and consistent exploration and development in photographic genres. Excerpts from the family’s diaries stretching over three generations engage the reader in the real life experiences of his family in Swansea in the 1800s.

The photographs are clearly labelled and located appropriately to the text with additional detailed descriptions of the images relating to the titles, medium of reception, medium of print, and dimensions in the appendices giving appropriate significance to the processes he used. The photographs themselves are displayed in their present condition often showing evidence of damage but also how the photos were used: corners cut off and albums, paper scraps used in experiments and general wear and tear. The tonal shifts from one image to the next indicate the author’s determination to reflect each image in as close to its true state as possible. The comprehensive footnotes, detailed timeline and family trees complement the narrative historical content.

This volume weaves together a diverse range of elements that record the rich detail, dark shadows and joyous highlights of John Dillwyn Llewelyn, a revisualisation of the life of one who made a significant contribution to early photography. It is a smorgasbord of fascinating narratives that can be dipped into or consumed from cover to cover.

Janine Freeston

The Photographer of Penllergare- a life of John Dillwyn Llewelyn 1810 to 1882

by Noel Chanan

Details of the book's availability can be found here: http://www.the-photographer-of-penllergare.co.uk

Men and women have dressed to impress for all occasions throughout the ages. After the invention of photography in the late 1820s the popularity of dressing up for studio photographs grew, reaching its peak from1860 to1880. This exhibition is a snapshot of fashion and photography from 1880s cartes de visite to the start of the movie age in the early 1900s.
As well as focusing on original costume, images, photographs and camera equipment from the museum collection, this exhibition is illustrated by fabulous detailed period costumes from the world famous film costumiers Cosprop. Amongst others see outfits worn by famous film and television stars Dame Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey) and Nicole Kidman (Portrait of a Lady).
Visit this exhibition for a glamorous glimpse into the past. Try on replica costumes and create your own carte de visite, design your own Victorian or Edwardian outfit or try out early optical instruments from the time of photography and moving image invention.

The exhibition will be from 22nd June to 31st August 2013 at the Annan Museum, details of which can be found here.

As well as an artist’s eye for composition early photographers had to understand the physics and chemistry of their art. On Saturday, 29th June 2013, Alex Boyd will demonstrate some of the techniques used in early photography by creating a number of portraits. Visitors are welcome to drop in, see Alex at work and ask questions.

Alex is widely regarded as one of the rising stars of contemporary Scottish photography. His work has been exhibited and published internationally, with shows at prestigious venues such as The Scottish Parliament, The Royal Ulster Academy and the European Parliament. In 2012 Alex was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Art (FRSA).

Details of this event which is held at Annan Museum can be found here.

The Kraszna-Krausz Foundation is proud to announce the short and long lists for its annual awards for photography and moving image books.  The Foundation also reveals Thames and Hudson Chairman Thomas Neurath as the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Publishing award.

Established in 1985, the KKF Book Awards are the UK’s leading prizes for books published in the fields of photography and the moving image and the two winners share a £10,000 prize.  The judges have shortlisted books ranging from heavy tomes to small paperbacks, each with outstanding pictorial and literary content and exceptional production.  With the proliferation of self-publishing and e-books, the need for traditional publishers to create beautifully crafted books with cutting edge content is more urgent than ever.

Best Photography Book Award

The award was judged by photography specialist and curator Zelda Cheatle (chair), Guardian photography critic and writer Sean O’Hagan and photographer Paul Graham.  The panel selected:

Shortlist – from which one winner will be chosen

• Everything Was Moving: Photography from the 60s and 70s by Kate Bush (Barbican Art Gallery) [BPH's tip for the winner] 
• Billy Monk by Billy Monk (Dewi Lewis)
• War / Photography: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath byAnne Wilkes Tucker, Will Michels and Natalie Zest (Yale University Press)

Longlist

• Algeria by Dirk Alvermann (Steidl)
• Uncle Charlie by Marc Asnin (Contrasto)
• Chris Killip: arbeit / work by David Campany and Ute Eskildsen (Steidl)
• On the Mines by David Goldblatt and Nadine Gordimer (Steidl)
• Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop by Mia Fineman (Metropolitan Museum of Art) (see illustration)
• Sarah Angelina Acland: First lady of Colour Photography by Giles Hudson (Bodleian Library, University of Oxford)
• Mikhael Subotzky: Retinal Shift by Mikhael Subotzky and Anthea Buys (Steidl)

Of the 10 short and long listed books Zelda Cheatle comments: “Our highly commended books include contemporary work, exhibition catalogues, a beautiful little paperback and turn of the century discoveries.  Every book was thought about, mulled over and the agonising process of elimination or inclusion enacted.  So many of the books were magnificent: we were glad to include Sarah Angelina Acland and her (previously-unknown) spectacular colour images, Marc Asnin’s Uncle Charlie with its 30 years of work and Chris Killip: arbeit, a master photographer, all discussed at length.   Each and every one of the books on this list is a winner for this judging panel.”

Best Moving Image Book Award

Chaired by BFI Creative Director Heather Stewart, the Moving Image panel was completed by Nev Pierce, Editor-at-Large, Empire magazine and Dr. Julian Petley, Professor of Screen Media, Brunel University.   The panel chose:

Shortlist - from which one winner will be chosen

• 39 Steps to the Genius of Hitchcock by James Bell, editor (British Film Institute)
• First Films of the Holocaust: Soviet Cinema and the Genocide of the Jews, 1938-46 by Jeremy Hicks (University of Pittsburgh Press)
• Hollywood Costume by Deborah Nadoolman Landis (V&A Publishing)

Longlist

·         Audiences: Defining and Interpreting Screen Entertainment Reception by Ian Christie, ed. (Amsterdam University Press)

·         The James Bond Archives by Paul Duncan (Taschen)

·         Ealing Revisited by Mark Duguid et al (British Film Institute)

·         The Art and Making of the Dark Knight Trilogy by Jody Duncan Jesser and Jannine Pourroy (Abrams)

·         Behind the Scenes at the BBFC: Film Classification from the Silver Screen to the Gilded Age by Edward Lamberti (Palgrave Macmillan)

·         The Cinema of Tarkovsky: Labyrinths of Space and Time by Nariman Skakov (I.B. Tauris)

·         Publisher Ilex for the 2012 books from their series Filmcraft: Costume Design, Production Design, Editing, Cinematography, Directing

Talking about the books, Heather Stewart commented: “The standard of the ten publications on the list was as high as ever, and the shortlisting of the top three was extremely difficult”. 

The 20 short and long listed photography and moving image books will be displayed at Somerset House, London from 26 April – 12 May as part of the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition.

The Best Photography Book and Best Moving Image Book winners will be announced on 25 April as part of the Sony World Photography Awards Gala Ceremony at The Hilton, London.  The Photography and Moving Image winners will share £10,000 in prize money."

On the same night, the National Media Museum First Book Award, in partnership with MACK, will be announced.  The award supports the production of a book of previously unpublished work and is supported by the Wilson Centre for Photography, the Kraszna-Krausz Foundation, the John Kobal Foundation and Pierre Brahm.

Outstanding Contribution to Publishing

In recognition of his championing of both photography and moving image books, the Kraszna-Krausz Foundation is delighted to announce Thomas Neurath as the recipient of its Outstanding Contribution to Publishing award.

Thomas Neurath, Chairman of Thames & Hudson, one of a handful of still independent medium-to-large size British publishers, has been personally in charge of the programme of photography titles at the company since the 1960's when he first worked with such eminent practitioners as Brassai and Cartier-Bresson.  Soon thereafter T&H was introducing American photographers including Penn, Avedon and Bruce Davidson to book collectors and other enthusiasts outside the U.S.A.

Pioneering historians of the genre such as Helmut Gernsheim found a sympathetic publishing home at T&H as do figures from the art and museum world for whom photography has been and is a significant medium of their artistic practice - Richard Long, Sophie Ristelhueber, David Hockney and Sean Scully to cite some names.

Thames & Hudson issues some 180 new visual titles each year.  Photo-agencies such as Magnum, major magazine groups including Condé Nast, the contemporary gallery scene, collaborations with fellow publishers such as Robert Delpire or Gerhard Steidl and wherever possible direct working relationships with the photographers continue to contribute to this programme. "Concerned and passionate publishers" is how Martine Franck described the Neurath family and Thames and Hudson on the occasion of its 60th anniversary.

Upon awarding Neurath with this prize Michael G Wilson, Chair of the Kraszna-Krausz Foundation comments: “Thomas Neurath's passion for books, artists and ideas is evidenced by the incredible range of photographic and moving image titles in the Thames and Hudson catalogue.  The Kraszna-Krausz Foundation is pleased to honour Mr. Neurath for his long-standing commitment to producing excellent and innovative titles across the breadth and depth of publishing on lens-based media."

Neurath is the third recipient of the KKF Outstanding Contribution to Publishing award.  Gerhard Steidl received the award in its inaugural year, 2011, followed by Dewi Lewis in 2012.

It's been reported in the Irvine Herald that German-born Scots photographer, Alex Boyd, is currently working with renowned photographer Rankin on a new ITV programme about the History of Scottish Photography. 

He said: “Ultimately, there is the talent and the resources available for Scotland to build on its photographic past. Ironically, the country was one of the driving forces behind the development of photography in its early days, so hopefully we can work towards the day when Scotland can once again reassert itself as one of the innovative nations of photography.”

The Daguerreotype, with Mike Robinson, Saturday, 1 June - Tuesday, 4 June, 2013. This workshop is for artists with a serious interest in the evolution, aesthetics and process of daguerreotypy. The workshop will be conducted by Mike Robinson, a modern master of the medium.  Participants will learn both modern and traditional techniques of polishing. Also covered will be advanced concepts of contrast control, alternative fuming techniques, and housing options. Each participant will have the opportunity to make up to three daguerreotypes during the workshop.

Roger Watson, Curator of the Fox Talbot Museum, will present a lecture on the evolution of the daguerreotype and show examples of daguerreotypes and vintage housings from the archives of the Fox Talbot Museum and from his personal collection. Each participant will receive a workbook and printed materials including a reprint of the original step-by-step instructions and other readings on the topic of daguerreotype.

The workshop's last day will include a demonstration of rear painted passe-partout cover-glass, a historic method of presentation, and participants will make protective housings for all their daguerreotypes.  

Limited to 6 participants

Tuition: £990, (including 20%VAT*, material fees and lab costs).

http://www.talbotworkshops.co.uk/workshops.htm

The British Journal of Photography reports on the use of Flickr as tool by museums and archives. It quotes Emma Thom, senior web content co-ordinator at the National Media Museum (NMM) in Bradford...

The Commons has expanded the concept of what a museum is. “It used to be the case that museums were seen as four walls – and it’s great if people want to come and look at what we’ve got – but this is an opportunity to take the museum to other people. We’re taking an integrated approach, working with curators and collections teams, to have a stronger web presence, linking our postings to The Commons to our programmes.”

The “no known copyright restrictions” category devised to cover postings to The Commons might have rung alarm bells in the minds of some rights holders, particularly those campaigning against the Orphan Works proposals contained in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill making its way through the British Parliament.

But, according to Thom, copyright issues have not had a big impact on what the NMM is able to do. “Our emphasis is on sharing pictures that are copyright-free – that is what The Commons is all about – and we have thousands of photographs that are out of copyright.” The same is true for many of the other member institutions, with large numbers of images out of copyright or – as is the case of the National Archives (which has some six million) and the Library of Congress – with collections that are largely Government-generated and covered by Crown Copyright or its US equivalent.

The National Media Museum's FLickr stream is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalmediamuseum/

Read more: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/report/2250132/shared-history-the-commons-initiative-celebrates-its-fifth-anniversary#ixzz2O8wziiya 

I have recently acquired an extensive collection of glass plates (80,000 items) along with a substantial volume of original documents and day ledgers. The collection was created by Hills & Saunders 'Harrow' studio.

I would be interested to learn more about any of the actual photographers who worked for Hills & Saunders. I believe the company operated a number of studios around the country, including Harrow, Eton, Oxford & Cambridge. If anyone could provide me with any information or suggestions on where I may find a source of information I would be most grateful.

The General Council of Essonne, through the French Museum of Photography maintains one of the largest collections of photographic heritage covering the entire history of photography and its uses. It counts among its most iconic and fragile, the first pictures known to-date in China, and the diary of the author Jules Itier.

These photographic works are the subject of a new exhibition to offer a unique opportunity to discover the first photographic eye that has focused on Western China. Presented at the China Cultural Centre in Paris on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, and in Beijing and Lishui, it is presented now in Wuhan, with the support of the Municipality and the Museum of Fine Arts in Wuhan. This exhibition presents fifteen daguerreotypes made ​​in 1844 in Macao and Canton shortly after the invention of photography. The exhibition does not attempt to trace the history of photography or the biography of Jules Itier but rather to highlight the specificity of the testimony of both visual and written through photographs and newspaper.

In parallel with the exhibition will be offered another exhibition organized by the Museum of Fine Arts and Wuhan Municipality. Entitled Shadows of the Yangtze River, it's a series of photos taken between 1858 and 1910 of Wuhan, Hankow Bund and the Yellow Crane Pagoda. There is also an array of old cameras on display: a 1860′s Steinheil, a 1890′s Photo-Hall, and a 1904′s Sanderson.

Details of the exhibition can be found here, with some photos of the exhibition from a blog here.

The exhibition presents a rare opportunity to view one of the world’s largest collections of early Japanese photography. There are more than 230 works in this exhibition from the personal collection of Edmontonian Arlene Hall. Its debut was at the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA), which organized the exhibition in 2009. The photographs in the exhibition reflect the transitional period from 1860 to 1899, when feudal Japan was opening to the outside world and yielding to modern influences.

KOSHASHIN (“period photographs”) reveals this remarkable period in history when both Western and Japanese photographers (including Felice Beato, Raimund von Stillfried, Uchida Kuichiand Kusakabe Kimbei to name just a few) developed a distinctive style of image. Dated from the early 1860s to the late 1890s, the 230 works in this exhibition are on loan from The Hall Collection. A remarkable private collection in Edmonton, The Hall Collection is one of the largest collections of these images in the world. This unique collection offers an unparalleled reflection of Japan as it was 150 years ago.

Curated by Catherine Crowston and organized & circulated by the Art Gallery of Alberta. Details can be found here.

In 1861, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert decided that their eldest son, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), would benefit from an extended tour of Egypt and the Middle East in 1862. It was thought that such a tour would provide the Prince with the opportunity to learn about ancient cultures, history and religions. It would also offer him the chance to meet many of the rulers and diplomats in the region, an experience that they regarded as an essential part of his training as heir to the throne.

This is the Prince’s handwritten journal of that tour from the Royal Archives, published in full for the first time and brought to life with photographs by royal photographer, Francis Bedford. Details of the accompanying exhibition can be found in one of the blogs below.

A Fantastic Legacy: Early Bombay Photography presents over 100 original images gathered from public and private collections, and displayed throughout the gallery in various formats. This comprehensive show explores the rich 19th century history of photography in Mumbai and features some of the earliest anthropological studies that used photography, as well as stunning architectural city scenes, portraits, stereoviews, and some of the first art photographs ever taken in Bombay. It will also feature an interactive learning area and walk-in camera obscura, to bring to life the fascinating innovation of early photography.
In collaboration with the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai and Mumbai Art Room. Curated by Susan Hapgood. Held in Mumbai from 13th March to 27 March. Details can be found here.

The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions has released its 2012 numbers. The National Media Museum, Bradford, shows a small increase in numbers which reflects the opening of new galleries. In 2012 the museum received 504000 visitors compared to 486668 in 2011. 

The chart shows the 2008-2012 ALVA numbers for the museum.

Wesleyan University's Associate Professor Jennifer Tucker has been selected for a Fulbright-U.S. Scholar Award, through which she will spend eight months at the University of York in England from December.

Tucker is a historian of British science, technology and medicine, specializing in the study of the connections among British science, photography and the visual arts from 1850 to 1920. At the University of York, she will complete work on her second book, tentatively titled,Facing Facts: The Tichborne Cause Célèbre and the Rise of Modern Visual Evidence. She also plans to begin preliminary research toward her next book project, which will trace the social history of Victorian scientific and popular visual depictions of the ocean life before and after the HMS Challenger expedition (1872-1876), which laid foundations for the modern science of oceanography.

Tucker previously studied in England as a Marshall Scholar at the University of Cambridge. She received an M.Phil degree from the University of Cambridge in 1990.

As a Fulbright scholar, Tucker will finish the writing of her second book in conversation with members of the scholarly community in the University of York’s Department of History of Art. The book is the first historical account of the circulation of visual evidence (photos, engravings, cartoons, and newspaper illustrations) in the high-profile 19th century trials of Arthur Orton, a butcher from Australia who claimed to be Sir Roger Charles Tichborne, the missing heir to an aristocratic English estate.

“The Tichborne affair is best known today as a case of imposture, identity, and disputed inheritance that attracted strong working class support and led to the dissolution of the Court of Chancery in 1875. My study will show that the Tichborne affair was also an overlooked landmark in the history of Victorian visual culture,” Tucker wrote in her application for the Fulbright Scholarship.

At York, Tucker also will begin preliminary research for her next major book project using photographic archives in York and the National Media Museum in Bradford and, she hopes, materials from the London Stereoscopic Company in the private collection of guitarist and songwriter, Brian May, from the British rock band, Queen.

“The University of York has remarkable intellectual and archival resources related to my scholarly projects and core teaching interests. In addition to the University’s extraordinary expertise in 19th century British history of art and visual culture and related fields, it is within an hour of the leading archive for British photographic history, the National Media Museum in Bradford: home to the National Photography, Cinematography, Television and New Media Collections,” Tucker writes in her application. “The National Media Museum is a vast repository of primary and archival materials that are invaluable for the 19th century photographic historian, including thousands of historical photographs, specimens of photographic processes from 1839 to the present, camera technologies, and rare surviving 19th century photographic journals, letters and photographic studio records.”

Read more here: http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2013/03/11/tuckerfulbright/

Scotland-based Elmwood has been selected to carry out fit out works for Media Space at the London Science Museum.

The new galleries are the result of a collaboration between the National Media Museum in Bradford and the London Science Museum, and will include 500 sq m of temporary exhibition space, a 290 sq m flexible studio space for installations and events, and a café bar area designed to take the venue from day into night.

Work is already underway on the new venue. Says Contracts Director Stewart Arnott: “Elmwood has been contracted to carry out the enabling and shellworks for the new venue, ranging from M&E installation, air handling plant, and power and data installation, through to joinery, bespoke furniture, floor and wall finishes, lighting and graphics.

“Each element has to be carried out with sensitivity to the live environment and in accordance with strict criteria. So we’re working extremely closely with both the client and design team to ensure we bring the project in on time, within budget and to a flawless finish.”

Once complete, Media Space is expected to host two major exhibitions and a series of installations and events each year.

See: http://www.elmwoods.com/news/new-newspage-12/

Image: Kate Elliott / Science Museum

In 1862, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) was sent on a four-month educational tour of the Middle East, accompanied by the British photographer Francis Bedford (1815-94). This exhibition documents his journey through the work of Bedford, the first photographer to travel on a royal tour. It explores the cultural and political significance Victorian Britain attached to the region, which was then as complex and contested as it remains today. 

Pagoda Tree Press has just published a new book: 'Early Photographs of Ladakh'. This republishes two important early photographic works: 'From Simla through Ladac & Cashmere' by Captain Robert Melville Clarke originally published in 1862; together with 'Description of a Mystic Play, as Performed in Ladak, Zascar &c.' by Captain H. H. Godwin-Austen; with Photographic Illustrations by Captain Alexander Brodie Melville, which was first published in 1865. These two works between them, contain the earliest known photographs ever taken in Ladakh, between 1861 and 1864. Full details are available at:
http://ning.it/14zaaHs.

In 1922, an appeal went out from the Royal Photographic Society to suitably recognise the inventor of photography, William Henry Fox Talbot.  Many photographers were happy to join in the subscription and more than £200 was raised (equivalent to about £10,000 today).  In September 1924 the bronze and marble memorial was unveiled in the library of the Society’s headquarters, 35 Russell Square (near the British Museum).  It was crafted by George Hawkings, a monumental sculptor then based in Shepherds Bush, London.  He was President of the Hampshire House Photographic Society, a pioneer in the use of colour photography, and a fine worker in photogravure.  When he died in 1937, he merited a full page obituary in The Photographic Journal.

below: from the British Journal of Photography – the size of the memorial is not recorded 

In 1938, the Society realised that it was losing its lease on Russell Square and sought out a new home, finally settling on an address in Princes Gate.  The move was accomplished early in 1939 and by July the Society’s former quarters had been demolished.

Astonishingly, the last record of the Talbot memorial that I have been able to trace was a proud mention in Hawkings’s 1937 obituary.  Even though 1939 celebrated the centenary of photography, and Miss Matilda Talbot spoke to the Society about her grandfather, nothing was said about moving the memorial.  It would seem astonishing that such a recent and popular piece of history would have been left behind that year – it would not have been difficult or expensive to move – yet nobody that I have spoken to who was familiar with Princes Gate or any of the subsequent Society headquarters has any memory of it.  No published mention of it has been traced after the 1937 obituary.

If anyone has any information on the fate of this memorial, it would be appreciated.  If anyone spots any published reference to it after 1937, that could be very helpful.

many thanks

Larry J Schaaf

right: what was left of the Society’s Russell Square headquarters by July 1939 – BJP